This year’s ongoing chikungunya fever and dengue fever outbreaks in several countries in Southeast Asia have been severe. In addition, 4 new clustered cases of chikungunya fever have recently been confirmed in 4 people who participated in religious activities in Indonesia. Hence, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) urges the public to take protection measures against mosquito bites when visiting areas affected by vector-borne diseases in South and Southeast Asia to prevent infection.

According to the epidemic surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, a cumulative total of 22 cases of chikungunya fever, including Taiwanese citizens and foreign nationals, have been confirmed in Taiwan, which is a new record high during the same period in years, and all of them are imported. Of the cases, 11 are Taiwanese citizens (50%), which is 5.5 times more than the average reported during the same period in the past 5 years. In addition, during 2008 and 2013, an accumulative total of 25 imported cases of chikungunya fever have been confirmed in Taiwanese citizens. Of these cases, 12 cases were imported from Indonesia (48%) and 6 cases were imported from the Philippines (24%). Thus far this year, two clusters of chikungunya fever cases have occurred and both clusters were imported from Indonesia.

Chikungunya fever is a viral illness that is caused by chikungunya virus and spread by the virus-carrying mosquitoes. As there is currently no vaccine or medication available to prevent the disease, Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting tropical countries in South and Southeast Asia to take precautions against mosquito bites, including wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and applying officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body to lower the risk of infection. Taiwan CDC emphasizes if symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain develop after returning to Taiwan, please notify the quarantine officer at the airport at once in order to receive appropriate assistance timely. It is also important to monitor one’s health within 14 days of returning from the aforementioned countries. If the abovementioned symptoms develop, please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any recent travel history and activity to facilitate prompt diagnosis and case reporting.

For any questions or further information, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone.